


Plant a Seed of Good in Me

by Empress_Of_Edenia



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Day 1: Flowers, F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Sad Fluff, Shiro Ship Week 2018, dark comedy kinda, everyone is human
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 22:13:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15034421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Empress_Of_Edenia/pseuds/Empress_Of_Edenia
Summary: Shiro's got nothing but the best intentions, really. He doesn't mean to hurt anyone. Alas, even people trying their best get caught up in bizarre, heartwarming situations.





	Plant a Seed of Good in Me

Shiro had to admit it; this was the first time he’d ever been caught by someone’s guard cat.

The fence on the side of the house was barely a challenge for him to reach. He only had to grab hold of the rail with one hand, hoist himself up over and be on his way. Or he would’ve been, if life hadn’t decided to attach a curious black cat to his leg.

Gripping tightly on the gate, Shiro shook the fistful of carnations at the Bombay, careful not to shed too many petals. No sense in showing up with a bunch of empty stems, now was there? “Go on, shoo!” he said as he tried to keep his voice down.

The Bombay looked at him with accusatory eyes, but if Shiro didn’t know any better, the feline’s expression could almost be mistaken for playful. Its purrs vibrated up the length of his calf while its claws dug deeper into his jeans leg.

“Kitty, I don’t have time to play with you,” Shiro reasoned with it. “I have somewhere very, very important to be. Maybe next time, okay?”

But it refused to leave him be.

A sigh escaped his lips. He’d tried being nice, but now he was at the end of his rope. Whoever owned this cat would be looking for it any minute now, and he was running out of time regardless. Shiro peeked at his wristwatch, realizing he only had fifteen minutes left to get there. “Come on, now, get-get _off_!” He swung his leg side to side and clung to the fence for dear life.

The cat also braced itself. When it was beginning to slip, it hiked farther up Shiro’s leg and clawed into his back. Its distressed meows rang sharply in his ears.

“Fuck, ow!” he cried out before losing his grip and falling onto his ass. Shiro sat there for at least three minutes trying to pull the yowling thing off of him. He eventually gave up, wriggling out of his jacket with the cat still on it. There was nothing of importance in the pockets, anyway. Gathering the flowers, Shiro scaled up the fence again. There was still enough time for him to make his appointment if he hurried.

He could see the damn cat climbing up with him, but what mortified him more than that was the sight of the back door opening.

Out walked a young woman in dark, loose clothing. She wore a hijab on her head and stared with wandering eyes as she entered her backyard. In one hand she carried a cane which she swept back and forth in front of her. A clicking sound emitted from her mouth, most likely meant for her pet.

The closer she got to Shiro with that cane, the louder his heart pounded. The woman couldn’t see him, of course, but he suddenly had this inane fear that she could hear his heartbeat or the blood rushing in his head. ‘Don’t be stupid, that’s only in the movies,’ Shiro told himself.

She clicked again, still trying to call the cat to her. Her companion stayed by Shiro, instead choosing to meow its head off.

‘You little shit,’ Shiro hissed in his head. He bit down on his lip so as to keep quiet while he lifted his leg over the fence. He was sitting astride it in between the wrought iron spikes, flowers in hand, when he felt the cat’s claws and teeth rip into his shirt. It took everything in him not to cry out in surprise, but he might as well have. The woman’s cane had him fast too, caught in one of his belt loops.

Her expression was less than pleased when he looked down at her. Upon further inspection, the woman didn’t have the stereotypical blue-white eyes that assumed most blind people did. Well, maybe she did, but he couldn’t tell with them closed like that. She made gestures with her free hand, which he recognized as ASL. _What are you doing on my property?_

“I-I, um… really, I can explain,” Shiro answered. He shifted on his perch while struggling to think of a good reason.

She released his belt loop, then rested the cane on his arm. _It isn’t that hard to buy your own carnations, you know. Botanists sell them for almost nothing nowadays._

All of the color drained from his face and his pupils dilated. How the hell did she know which flowers he stole?

A similar look of realization dawned on the woman’s face. _So you’re the one who’s been destroying my garden…_

“Yeah, that was all me. I’m so sorry about doing this to you,” he apologized in earnest. Shiro swung back over the fence and hopped down. “Here,” he said, reaching for her hand so that he could place the flowers in it.

The woman took a step back from Shiro, her face more serene now. _Oh no_ , she signed, _you can keep those. If you promise to do one thing for me, that is._

“Which would be…?” Shiro asked, wondering how much trouble he was actually in for his petty theft.

 _That you’ll take me wherever it is you run off to after you uproot my flower bed every Thursday_ , the woman replied.

“Really? That’s it?” Shiro blinked at the unusual woman as she nodded. “Uh, can I ask why, though? It’s no place special..” Not to her it wasn’t, anyway.

She smiled at this. _Because then I’ll have no reason to call the police_.

“Fair point,” he agreed. Shiro tried to offer his hand for her again, getting close enough to brush his fingers against it. But he recoiled and let his arm drop at his side.

The woman’s smile grew wider at his gesture. _You're a very thoughtful thief, but it’s alright. I’ll follow along just fine by myself._ She clicked for her cat.

Said cat, who’d been perched on Shiro’s broad shoulders until now, leapt off of him with the grace of a panther and onto the shoulders of his human.

 _Come on, Kova. Your new friend is going to take us somewhere very important_ , she told it as she tickled under its chin.

Shiro led the way off of the woman’s property and onto the sidewalk. He didn’t say much on the way there, and neither did she. Even Kova wasn’t as loud as it had been when it’d caught Shiro in the act. Granted, the last thing the woman owed him was conversation, but the silence made his guilt seem that much worse. Nothing he came up with seemed appropriate for the situation, either.

The woman decided to be the one to initiate it, instead. _So, does this pretty girl of yours enjoy my flowers?_

Shiro felt a flush creep up his neck. “I think she does. I mean, they’re beautiful. Who wouldn’t?”

 _I’ve been told as such_ , the woman signed.

“By the way,” he said, now that they were both talking again, “how did you know these were carnations?” Shiro glanced at the pink blossoms in his hand. A few petals had been lost, but he could still present them and not feel bad about it.

 _Each flower has its own scent, even the ones you think are weak in terms of their fragrance_ , she responded.

He put the carnations to his nose and took a whiff. Shiro couldn’t smell anything beyond a vague, grassy musk.

 _It takes a while to identify one, especially modern varieties_ , the woman commented.

‘That and a sixth sense…’ Shiro thought to himself, wondering how heightened her other senses were if she could tell what he was doing just by listening to his breath. He didn’t have much time to dwell on it as he turned on his next left and crossed the street. “We’re almost there.”

 _She must not live very far, then_ , signed the woman.

“No. Not anymore, she doesn’t,” Shiro said, deciding not to say anything else about the mystery girl.

The woman got the hint and didn’t press it further, using her free hand to pet Kova some more.

Finally the three made it to the cemetery gate, and with a good chunk of time to spare. The groundskeeper waved to Shiro when he saw him coming. “You’re usually a little earlier than this,” he said as he stuck the keys into the lock.

“Usually, but I had a couple of friends that wanted to join me at the last minute,” Shiro said. He wasn’t really sure what to call Kova and his owner, but ‘friends’ sounded nice.

The groundskeeper waved at the woman as well, not seeming to notice when she didn’t acknowledge him. “Go on in,” the older man said, opening the gate and standing aside for the odd couple to head inside.

Shiro thanked the man and led the woman to his final destination. He stopped at a peculiar little plot, closed off from the other rows of grave markers. The weight he’d been carrying in his stomach lifted from him at last. It was always good to be here, knowing his loved one was buried in the nicest plot that his family could afford at the time.

He kneeled down at the headstone in the center of the burial plot and placed the carnations at the foot of it, just below her name. It was silent in the graveyard for a while, nothing to disturb it but the wind rustling through the trees and his hair before Shiro spoke again.

“Hey, Motoko,” he began while kneeling there. “How are you, today? Hope you don’t mind that I brought a friend with me. Her name’s, uh…” Shiro trailed off, realizing he hadn’t even asked the woman’s name before bringing her here. He looked over his shoulder at her for help.

The gesture she made wasn’t like anything he’d ever seen in ASL until now. But by stringing the signs together, he could make out that the odd woman’s name was Narti.

“...Narti,” Shiro finished, turning back to the headstone. “She brought her cat with her, too. I know how much you love them.”

Narti walked forward, swinging her cane in not-so-wide sweeps this time. The end of it clacked against the marble, which stopped her in her tracks. Although her eyes remained closed, the rest of her features turned solemn. When she was close enough to Motoko’s headstone, she also knelt. There was no braille for her to read, but letting her fingers graze over the carved lettering told her what she was ‘looking’ at.

Kova walked from her shoulder and to the headstone as Narti held out her hand. The cat made itself comfortable on top, sitting on it haunches and looking far more behaved than before.

“I’d like you both to meet my sister,” Shiro said, petting Kova.

 _Hello, Motoko_ , Narti signed to the headstone. _It’s nice to meet you. You have a very caring brother that goes to great lengths for your sake_. She stopped her gesturing for a moment. The expression on her face was difficult to read. _If only we all could be so fortunate_.

Shiro felt something warm in his chest as he watched Narti interact with Motoko. He wasn’t sure if it was how tender she acted towards someone she would never meet in person, or if the way the sun lit up her face had anything to do with it. Whatever was coming over him, Shiro welcomed it. A moment this peaceful deserved to be left unspoiled.

The three left the cemetery shortly afterward. Shiro could’ve stayed there all evening talking to Motoko, observing Narti and petting Kova, but visiting hours were visiting hours. Shiro decided to be the one to speak first as they made their way back.

“Alright, maybe it _was_ a bit special to someone other than me,” he admitted.

 _Whether or not something is special is subjective_ , Narti signed, _but I would agree with you, on this one_.

Shiro bit his lip. “So, do you think it’s special enough not to send me to jail?”

Another amused smirk etched into her face. _Yeah, this isn’t worth spending the night in holding for. Besides, I’ve got something more effective in mind than prison_.

He stopped walking when he saw her make that gesture, his heart right back in his throat. “L-like what?”

 _Like teaching you how to garden so you don’t have to steal from mine_ , Narti answered after walking a couple feet ahead. She pointed her head over her shoulder, in the direction she thought he was standing. _I know I said botanists sell certain flowers for cheap, but I have a feeling you’ll get more out of doing this. I’ll even give you tips on how to keep them smelling as nice as my babies do. Deal?_

Shiro perked up at the good news. “Sounds like a great deal.”

Narti wished him a goodnight when they finally got to her doorstep.

* * *

 

Two months later, Shiro found himself wrist-deep in a patch of wet dirt. Surrounded by tools and new plants that needed to be taken from their pots, he couldn’t remember a time when he felt more at ease. Any time he needed to be by himself or was suffering an episode, Shiro retreated into his garden and devoted his attention to the begonias. Even his therapist approved of the new hobby, encouraging him to spend more time with his beautiful blossoms.

A shadow enveloped him at that moment, prompting him to look up. Narti was standing there, come to pay him her weekly visit. _Hi, Shiro_ , she signed.

“Hey! Good to see you,” Shiro said. His heart soared when she gave him one of her trademark smiles. He could now tell a Narti smile from any other by the dimples in either cheek.

 _Your garden smells incredible_ , Narti told him, lifting her head up to truly get a whiff of all the different fragrances in the air. _Although your roses aren’t as strong as they could be. You’ve been feeding them the fertilizer I suggested, right?_

Shiro sniffed in that direction, too. He looked over his shoulder at the thick, lush bush full of them. They looked a bit better than they smelled. “I guess I still have a few things to learn,” he said.

 _It’s fine_ , Narti assured. _Like I said, these things take time to get better at. I’m sure they’re still prettier than anyone else’s in the neighborhood_.

Already bored with just sitting there, Kova walked along the fence before climbing down to see what Shiro was doing.

 _Kova, you naughty boy_. She shook her head with her lips pursed. _I’m sorry he keeps doing that. He just really likes you_.

“I like him a lot, too,” he said, scratching the cat behind his ears and trailing long strokes over his back. “Oh! I almost forgot. Wait right there,” Shiro said, standing upright and walking over the other side of the garden. He returned with a pot full of carnations, now unafraid to take Narti’s hand and place it against the terracotta. “I planted these just for you.”

For a moment it looked like her eyes were going to open, she was so surprised. _Shiro, I… I don’t know what to say. Well, maybe I should start with ‘thank you.’_

Shiro shook his head. “No, this is my way of thanking _you_. They’re my thank you for giving me a second chance I didn’t deserve and for bringing something wonderful into my life.”

Narti took them into her arms, burying her nose into them.

“And, uh… this is kinda awkward, but…” he added.

 _But…?_ she signed, balancing the pot on her hip to ask the question.

“But I also planted them to give me a bit of courage. See, I’ve been wanting to ask you this for a while and every time I think I’ve got the right approach, it sounds terrible out loud…” He swallowed, hoping he didn’t sound even worse right now.

 _Are you trying to ask me out?_ Narti raised an eyebrow at him.

Shiro almost lost his nerve at that moment, though part of him was glad that she put it out into the open. “Yeah.”

 _I’d be happy to_ , Narti said.

Shiro swore he could take off into the skies and fly. His grin spread from ear to pierced ear. “Would it be okay if I picked you up at seven?”

 _Seven sounds awesome_ , Narti replied. _I’ll be sure to wear something nice._

“That won’t be hard. Everything looks good on you,” Shiro said.

He’d never seen her blush, before. Her ebony cheeks turned red at his comment. _T-thanks… I hate to leave so soon, but these carnations will need a sunny spot to rest in._ She clicked her tongue for Kova to follow her, standing there until her faithful pet climbed back up onto her shoulder. _Talk to you later. I’m really looking forward to tonight._

“Same. Get home safely,” Shiro said, watching her for a moment as she walked away, then going back to his flowers and pouring all of his joy into them.

**Author's Note:**

> An enormous thank you to keylimepidge and K-Lionheart for beta'ing these fics, as well as lending me some solid pointers on how to improve the story. You two are more than just awesome proofreaders. You're friends I never dreamed I would have. 
> 
> This work was also based on [a wonderful prompt I couldn't resist combining with the assigned one.](http://awful-aus.tumblr.com/post/163997896082/awful-au-196)


End file.
